Pneumatic valve.



J. R. DE NOYELLES.

PNEUMATIC VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1,093,546. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60 WASHINGTON. D. cv

J; R. DB NOYELLE S.

PNEUMATIC VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1,093,546, Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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awe/Mo's I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON ROGERS DE NOYELLES, OF BINGI-IAMTON, NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1913. Serial No. 768,130.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jonson Rosnns DENoreLLns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in thecounty of Broome and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic Valves, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to apneumatic for mechanically played musicalinstruments, and more particularly to the class of valved pneumatics ofplayer pianos.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a pneumaticwherein an air vent and bleed tube is arranged so as to assure properworking of the valve and also which will permit the cleaning of thediaphragm chamber so as to prevent the accumulation of dust and foreignmatter therein which necessarily results in impeding the action of thevalve or preventing the perfect working thereof for controlling thehammers while the instrument is being played.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a pneumatic whereinthe valve is limited in its movement and guided to and from its seat soas to assure the accu rate seating of the valve and preventing excessivemovement thereof, which latter affects the proper working of the playerpiano.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a pneumatic whereinthe bleed tube is controlled by a regulating device so that the actionof the valve will be varied to assure a quick or slow action thereof,thereby effecting a sharp clear single note or a trill.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pneumatic inwhich a bleed tube is arranged to assure greater advantages to a playerpiano as it connects directly to the diaphragm chamber, the dia phragmof which controls the valve, thereby enabling a clearer passage to beestablished between the vent air tube leading from the tracker board sothat the valve will be positively opened or closed with accuracy and therequired rapidity for the proper working of the player piano when inaction, the diaphragm being readily cleaned without requiring theremoval of the pneumatic from the player piano.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pneumaticwherein the diaphragm is reinforced to prevent the sag ging or breakingdown thereof resultant from continued use of the player piano.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pneumaticwherein the COIlStll'lCtlOll thereof employs minimum parts therebyaffording a simple device which is thoroughly reliable and efficient inoperation and inexpensive in manufacture. lVith these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a pneumatic constructedin accordance with the invention, showing the air vent tube leading froma tracker board, and the main suction tube leading to the main bellows.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the pneumatic.Fig. is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. i is an end elevation,showing the main suction tube in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is top plan view of the pneumaticwith the key operating bellows removed.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the pneumatic comprises a hollowbody 5 having arranged therein a horizontal partition 6 and a verticalpartition 7 forming independent compartments or chambers 8, 9 and 10respectively, the compartments 9 and 10 being in communication with eachother through a port 11 formed in the horizontal partition 6, while thecompartment 8 is out of communication with said compartments andtherefore can be termed a dead air cell or space, it being understood ofcourse that the pneumatics may be arranged in series, and this isaccomplished by constructing the body 5 of the required length anddividing the same transversely thereof at intervals. The body 5 of thepneumatic is preferably constructed from wood, although the same may bemade from any other material, and in the inner face of the bottom of thebody is formed a diaphragm cell or chamber 12 over which is bridged theresilient or flexible diaphragm l3, and' into the diaphragm chamber 12leadsa tracker tube 14 to which is connected at its outer end a flexibleair inlet tube, the same being extended to one of the inlets in thetracker board 16 as usual for a purpose presently described. Mounted inone end wall of the body 5 and opening into the chamber 10 is a nipple17 to which is connected a flexible suction tube 18, the same beingconnected with the main bellows of the player piano in the ordinarywell-known manner to eli ect a raising and lowering of the diaphragm 13for a purpose presently described. Fixed to the top of the body 5 of thepneumatic is a hanger or bracket 15) to which is connected the base orstationary cheek 20 of a bellows 21, the movable check 22 of which isformed with an extension 23 to which is connected the striker rod 24Lwhich is adapted to operate its respective key of the key-board of thepiano for the automatic playing thereof as usual. Opening into thecompartment 9 through the top of the body 5 of the pneumatic is a tube25 which also communicates with the bellows 21 so that on suction beingcreated in the said compartment 9 the bellows 21 will be caused toclose, thereby actuating the striker rod 24; connected thereto, thesuction in the compartment 9 being controlled through the medium of avalve presently de scribed. Arranged within the compartment 10 at ri htangles to each other and spanning the diaphragm 13 are flexibleprotective strips 26 which are suitably fastened to the said diaphragmat their crossing point and also fastened to the inner face of thebottom of the body 5 of the pneumatic, these strips being designed toprevent the sagging or breaking down of the diaphragm during continueduse of the pneumatic. Arranged to span the port 11 in the horizontalpartition 6 is a bridge bar 27 which is formed with a central guidesleeve 28 for the valve, which comprises a stem 29 slidably mounted inthe guide sleeve 28, the lower end of the stem 29 being formed with anabutment block 30 which acts upon and is adapted to contact with a disk31 fixed centrally to the diaphragm 13, while formed at the opposite endof the stem 29 is a double-faced valve 32, one face of which is adaptedto engage a seat 33 formed in the upper side of the horizontal partition6 for closing the port 11 when the said valve is operated in onedirection, while the other face of the valve 32 is adapted to engage theinner end of an air inlet tube 34 which is adjustably threaded in thetop of the body 5 and opens exteriorly thereof, the said valve 32 beingdesigned to close the tube 34: on its reverse movement. Leading from andcommunicating with the diaphragm chamber 12 is an air bleed tube 35which extends upwardly and into the compartment 10 for communicationtherewith. Adjustably threaded in one end of the body 5 in alinementwith the bleed tube 35 is a regulating screw 36 which engages in the endadjacent thereto of the bleed tube 35 for opening or closing the same onthe adjust ment of the said screw.

It will be apparent that the air inlet tube can be adjusted to regulatethe movenient of the valve in the pneumatic, thereby accu ratelycontrolling the said pneumatic during the working thereof, the bleedtube being controlled through the adjusting screw :36 to accuratelycontrol the rise and fall of the diaphragm 13 and also to permit theconvenient cleaning of the diaphragm chamber 12 as dirt and dust can beblown therefrom through said tube 35 into the compartment 10 on theopening of the free end of the tube by the screw 36, the said tube andthe latter being further designed to increase or de crease the rapidityof action of the bellows without requiring the removal of the pneumaticfrom the player piano. \Vhen the diaphragm rises and falls it controlsthe valve for the proper working of the pneumatic and thereby assure thecorrect playing of the said piano when in action.

The music sheet adapted to travel over the tracker board 16 is wound andunwound to and from spools (not shown) in the ordinary well-l-niownmanner, and this sheet travels over the said tracker board and acts as avalve for the pncumatic-t 0., so long as an in'lperforate portion of thenote sheet covers the inlet tracker board leading to thetube 11 whichconnected with the pneumatic the latter remains inactive, but themoment; a perforation in the note sheet passes over the said inlet inthe tracker board the pneumatic becomes active, because the air issucked through said tube l-fl on the working of the main bellows and asuction. therefrom is created within the compartment 10 which muses theraising of the diaphragin 12, and this latter in turn lifts the valve 32from its seat 33 in the partition 6, thereby establishing communicationbetween the compartments 9 and 10, and by reason of the communicationbetween the bellows and the said compartment 9 the bellows will becaused to close. thus actuating the striker rod connected. with itsrespective key for the sounding of a single note. Should the bleed tube35 not be present within the compartment 10 it would be impossible forthe raising of the diaphragm 13 and the resultant accurate activity ofthe valve within the pneumatic. The instant the music sheet closes theinlet in the tracker board from which leads the tube 1 1 the valvewill'become lowered and the bellows will expand, taking in air throughthe tube 3 1, and this operation is repeated during the working of theplayer piano. The bleed tube 35 when open will clean the diaphragmchamber 12, thereby sustaining it clean and free from accumulated dustor foreign matter so that the accurate operation of the valve is assuredand the positive working of the diaphragm is maintained.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner ofoperation of the device will be clearly understood, and therefore a moreextended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is 1. A pneumatic comprising a body having a partitiontherein forming superposed compartments, said body being furtherprovided with a diaphragm chamber in its bottom, a flexible diaphragmclosing the diaphragm chamber from communication with a compartmentadjacent thereto, an inlet tube adjustably mounted in the top of thebody and establishing communication between the uppermost compartmenttherein and the atmosphere, the said partition being formed with anopening in alinement with the inlet tube, a double valve for alternatelyclosing the inlet tube and the said opening and having its stem workingthrough the opening in the partition, flexible reinforcing stripscrossing each other and superimposed upon the diaphragm and fixed to thebottom of the body, a disk mounted at the crossing point of the saidstrips, an abutment block formed on the stem and engageable with thedisk upon the raising and lowering of the diaphragm to actuate thedouble valve, and means for guiding the stem through the opening in thepartition.

2. A pneumatic comprising a body having a partition therein formingsuperposed compartments, said body being further provided with adiaphragm chamber in its bottom, a flexible diaphragm closing thediaphragm chamber from communication with a compartment adjacentthereto, an inlet tube adjustably mounted in the top of the body andestablishing communication between the uppermost compartment therein andthe atmosphere, the said partition being formed with an opening inalinement with the inlet tube, a double valve for alternately closingthe inlet tube and the said opening and having its stem working throughthe opening in the partition, flexible reinforcing strips crossing eachother and superimposed upon the diaphragm and fixed to the bottom of thebody, a disk mounted at the crossing point of the said strips, anabutment block formed on the stem and engageable with the disk upon theraising and lowering of the diaphragm to actuate the double valve, meansfor guiding the stem through the opening in the partition, a tubeleading from the diaphragm chamber into the lowermost compartment in thebody, and an adjusting screw threaded in one end of the body and forminga valve for the free end of the tube.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JUDSON ROGERS DE NOYELLES. Witnesses:

MAsoN LOWELL, CLARENCE MACDOWALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C.

